Hokkaido, specifically the southern coastal area -- Hidaka, Niikappu, Shizunai, Urakawa -- comprises the breeding and training center of Japanese racing. Farms filled with stallions and broodmares, foals and youngsters dot the area.
This is where racing fans come year after year to catch glimpses of their heroes from the racetracks, the stallions retired to stud, or to see the young foals frolicking beside their mothers in the spring, the 2-year-olds galloping up the runs in preparation for their track debuts.
This is where the horses that fuel Japan's booming racing industry get their start. It is a place of beginnings, full of hope.